The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved eight railway projects on Friday including 3 for Odisha.
According to the Ministry, the projects cover as many as 14 districts of seven states including Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, and West Bengal. With this, the existing network of Indian Railways will increase by 900 km.
In Odisha, this will enhance connectivity to four aspirational districts-Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Rayagada.
“The three projects for Odisha’s southern and western parts are the 73-km-long Gunupur-Therubali new rail line, 116-km-long Junagarh-Nabarangpur new rail line and the 173-km-long Malkangiri-Pandurangpuram new rail line. These three new projects will complete a corridor connecting Western Odisha, South Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is important from a tourism point of view, employment point of view, mineral security point of view and energy security point of view,” said Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.